Self-lighting cigarette



May l5, 1923. 1,454,952

J. W. MCCLAIN SELF LIGHTING CIGARETTE Filed OC'C.v 16 1920 INVENTOR Patented May .15, 1923.

JOHN W. MecLAIN, or CHICAGO, I'LLINois.

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Application led October 16, 1920. Serial No, 417,303.

To ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be. it known that I, JOHN W. MOCLAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinoishave invented new and useful Improvement-s in Self-Lighting Cigarettes, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto cigarettes and an object of the invention is to provide cigarettes which have igniting means at one end, which may be rubbed over a. suitable ignitingl surface on the cigarette box for lighting cigarettes without the use of matches.

All smokers have had, at one time or another, the irritating and inconvenient experience of desiring to smoke when they had no matches yto light their cigarettes and an improved self lighting cigarette of' the pres ent invention will prevent such experiences, in that as long as the smoker has cigarettes he will have means for lighting them. It is also sometimes inconvenient to carry matches in ones pocket for several reasons, among which isthebulkiness ofthe boxes of matches which cause unsightly protruding ot the wearers pockets, which is also eliminated by the present self lighting cigarette.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cigarette which carries a suitable igniting material on the portion of its surface on one end and an insulating covering of non-combustible material on the remaining surface of the said end portion to prevent burning of the users fingers while lighting the cigarette.

Other obj ects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the igniting or lighting end of the improved cigarette.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the cigarette paper showing it in an unrolled position.

Fig. 3 is a section through the lighting end or tip of the cigarette.

Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the cigarette box. e

Fig. 5 is a plan of the cigarette box illu-strating the manner of lighting the cigarette thereon.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section through a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,.the cigarette 1 which is formed in the usual manner comprises the paper wrapper 2- in which is tightly rolled the tobacco 3. The tobacco 3, does not extend through the entire length of they improved cigarette but leaves one end of the cigarette free from tobacco, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The empty 'end of the paper 2 of the cigarette has' a portion thereof coated with any suitable combustible material as' indicated at 4 which may be a composition of antimouy sulphide, potassium chlorate and glue, thelast ingredient of which is provided to permit the adhering ot' the other ingredients to the paper 2 ofthe cigarette. In the drawing the igniting material 4 is shown as applied to only a part ofthe circumference of the paper 2 of. the cigarette at its empty end and the remaining portion of the empty end of the paper, upon each side of' the igniting material 4: is coated with a composition of noncombustible heat insulating material,

such as asbestos and glue or clay and glue,

the glue forming the adhesive to permit the adhering of the noncombustible material to the wrapper or paper tube of the cigarette as shown at 5. v

A container 6, in which the cigarettes 1 are disposed, has a surface 7 of an igniting compound thereon, and when it is desired to smoke one of the improved cigarettes. the index finger of the smo-ker is placed against the noncombustible substance on the cigarette paper directly opposite the combustible coating 4 and this hollow end is fiat-tened against the surface 7, over which it is quickly drawn, similar to the movement of striking a match and the friction of rubbing the combustible coating 4r over the igniting compound 7 will ignitethe paper of the cigarette and also the tobacco 3 thereof.

If it is desired, the combustible material 4 and the noncombustible material 5 may be placed upon a separate tip, which is mounted over the empty or full end ot the cigarette much in the same manner as cork or straw tips are mounted upOncigaretteS, such a structure being shown in the modified form illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings wherein the tip 10 carries the combustibleI or igniting material 10 and a noncombustible heat insulating material 11 andis secured to the paper or wrapper 2 of the cigarette in any suitable manner.

It is, of course, to be understood that the invention may be constructed in various other manners and the parts associated in other relations and therefore, I (lo not (lesire to be limitedin any other manner except as set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: 1. AS a new artiele'of manufacture, a

lcigarette, an igniting compound on the outer surface of the Wrapper of the cigarette l0 at one end, and a noncombustible heat inarranged at one end of the cigarette, and a 15 coating of heat insulating material arranged on opposite Sides of said strip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN W. MCCLAIN. 

